Concealers are a difficult product to get right, particularly undereye concealers. They need to:

- Keep the undereye area hydrated
- NOT settle into the fine lines under the eyes
- Be lightweight and thin so there is no caking
- Neutralise the purple/green undertones in dark circles

After trialling countless concealers, I have narrowed my favourites down to three fabulous products. Here they are:


1. Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch
This is probably my absolute favourite out of the three - an extremely lightweight, light reflecting concealer that does wonders for the undereye area.
Because of its light texture, it neither cakes nor settles into fine lines underneath the eyes. But despite its lightness, it is still extremely pigmented and a little bit goes a long way. This concealer contains a small amount of light-reflecting pigments, so make sure not to over-apply it, especially if you're going to be under the sun or in flash photography.

Something I don't like about this concealer is the packaging - Giorgio Armani hasn't engineered it quite right - because the concealer keeps leaking into the edges of the screw top cover, making a mess every time I open it up. The applicator also irks me a little - I'm not sure why they've done it this way, but the applicator is extremely thin (quite like a fine eyeliner brush), making it difficult to disperse the product appropriately across my undereye area.

2. Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer 
Coming in a close second is the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer - well known for its wide range of colours and creamy, hydrating texture. I originally purchased this for the rest of my face, which is why I didn't purchase it in a different undertone. What is so fabulous about this range of concealers is that they have the precise undertones that you need to counteract the dark circles underneath your eyes.

A little tip when it comes to looking for an appropriate undereye concealer for your dark circles: if you have purple dark circles, wear a yellow-toned concealer. If you have bluish circles, look for a peachy toned concealer. And finally, if you have green circles, look for a pink-toned concealer.

This concealer blends beautifully into the skin. I use it with a fluffy blending brush, and then pat it in with my fingers to warm the product up and help it blend into my skin. It is so pigmented and doesn't settle into fine lines, either. It is much thicker than the other concealers in this list, but it somehow works really well.

The downside to this concealer is that it can be a little rich for some people. Though your undereye area should be well-hydrated when you apply concealer, if you have very oily skin, it might be best to get a sample of this and try it out set with a powder before you buy.

3. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer
I have actually reviewed this concealer in a previous post, and it is still one of my favourites. It is equally as lightweight as the Giorgio Armani concealer, only slightly less pigmented. Don't get me wrong, though! Most light-reflecting concealers are quite sheer and don't quite cover dark circles, but the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind does. It looks very natural on the skin, and does not cake or settle into fine lines.

I use the colour 02 Light. There is a 'brightener' version of this concealer, but I wouldn't recommend it because it is a lot less pigmented than the normal concealers, and doesn't counteract the undertones in dark circles.

The sponge applicator is less than ideal because it does raise some hygiene issues, but other than that, I love what you get for the price!

I will be reviewing these concealers and many more in more detail on my blog, but I hope you enjoyed this post!

I finally have a video to upload - sorry it took so long since the last video tutorial!

I chose to do a Victoria's Secret model look for Asian eyes. The Victoria's Secret models have such gorgeous, deep-set eyes that look so lovely with just a minimal amount of makeup. For Asian eyes, I added a little bit of contouring and a lot of lashes and eyeshadow.

I hope you guys enjoy this look. Let me know if you have any questions!


Products used:

YSL TOUCHE ÉCLAT Radiant Touch in #2 Urban Decay Naked Palette

Hi ladies! Today the foundation I'm featuring is the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. This is one of my most treasured foundations, and I researched this foundation a LOT before finally deciding to get it!

Giorgio Armani: As seen in the press, capture the glow of perfect skin with this award-winning foundation. Luminous Silk foundation features an exclusive Micro-fil technology. So weightless, it redefines foundation. Its hydrating fluid glides on seamlessly with a silky texture and all-day, buildable coverage. For all skin types.

So here is my review!

Packaging
I love the frosted glass bottle and the beautifully embossed brand name on the cap. The pump isn't as smooth as the Dior foundation pump, but works well. The cap could be a little tighter, in my opinion, because sometimes when I pick it up by its cap, the bottle just falls right out of the cap.

Product
This foundation is pretty watery, one of the most watery foundations I have in my collection, aside from the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua.

The colour 3.5 is a great match for my NC20-ish skin. It has a very slight yellow tint to it so it is perfect if you are Asian or have yellow undertones in your skin.

Hello everyone! I finally have another video tutorial to share with you - this one was inspired by the K-pop smoky eye.

Here are a couple of pictures of the look, along with my brand new hair! My aunt (a salon owner back home) is in town for a visit and my whole family was all over me to get a haircut, so I did!

My apologies for the lousy quality of the pictures - I keep forgetting to take pictures with a proper camera after I'm done filming!


And here is the video!



Products used:

Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer (review to come)
Dior Diorskin Nude Fluid Cult Foundation in 020 (review to come)
Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Strut
Concrete Minerals eyeshadows in Wicked and Kinky
NYX Ultra Pearl Mania eyeshadow in Lilac Pearl
Sleek Contour Kit in Medium
Clinique Brush-on Cream Liner in True Black
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal
Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch Concealer in #4
MAC Select Cover Up in NC20
Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick Compact in Wildrose
Manicare Glam Eyes Crystal Face Jewels

Thank you so much for watching! Please subscribe and share the video if you liked it! x

Do you change up your makeup routine in the winter? I think winter is the perfect time to play around a little with darker looks, whilst keeping the skin fresh and healthy-looking. I like dewy skin with a dark eye, and I love how it contrasts so nicely with a dark eye.

Here is a look that I am wearing a lot now that it's winter:


If you like it, here's the video makeup tutorial:



Products used:

L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Luminosity Moisturiser
Hamilton Everyday Face Invisible Shield
L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream in Light (there are two shades: Light and Medium)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express Kit in Brunette (review here)
Clinique Lid Smoothie in Imprompt-Blue
Tom Ford Beauty Eye Color Quad in Silvered Topaz (review and swatches here)
Clinique Brush-on Cream Liner in True Black
Giorgio Armani High Precision Retouch Concealer in #3
Face of Australia Impact-Curl Mascara
Benefit They're Real Mascara
NP Set Contour & Highlight Palette
Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick in Wild Rose
Clinique Almost Lipstick in Shy Honey
Bloom Illuminiser in Glow

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

Hi guys! In a rare occurrence, I am actually delivering to you a post, as promised! I have a little beauty tip that I like to use - on or around May last year (and ever since), my skin started showing signs of distress. I broke out, and my skin tone wasn't as even as it used to be. My skin also started getting bumpy, and much duller.

One particular area I had problems with was my cheeks - there always seemed to be a clump of acne around that area, and no matter how hard I tried, I could never seem to conceal them enough so that they were less noticeable. What would happen was that I would apply concealer, powder, and then apply blush, but the application of the powder blush would always sweep a little bit of the concealer away, showing obvious hints of acne.

After trial and error, I finally figured out a method that I was very comfortable with, and I decided to share it here with you guys so that people who are looking for a solution for a problem like this might find inspiration in this post!

Here is a picture of my skin, currently. Hormones, on top of everything else, have made it even more of a problem area than usual. *wails*


So start off with your foundation, of course.







And that's the way I conceal my acne! I hope you found this tutorial helpful - I always do this to give me a little boost of confidence when I really need it! When my acne gets bad, my self esteem takes a really bad hit, and this helps me get through the day without feeling too self-conscious.


Do you guys have problem areas too? What have you found that works for you?

I decided to play in the spirit of Halloween for this FOTD!

It's not a big change and I didn't go all out because I didn't want to stand out too much at work, but I think it was a fun little change from the colours I would normally use.


I used Ameli's Fanta eyeshadow and a matte black eyeshadow from Sleek's i-Divine palette in Original to create a Halloween-themed orange-and-black eye makeup.


Here's a little close-up of the eye look. I used a contour colour in my crease to soften the look a little and blend the colours out.


Products used:

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #4
Ameli Cosmetics Sparkle Spot Eyeshadow in Fanta (review and swatches here)
Sleek i-Divine Mineral Eyeshadow Palette in Original (the matte black colour)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express Kit in Brunette
Sleek Contour Kit in Medium
Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner in True Black
Illamasqua Cream Blush in Seduce
Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in #52
LimeCrime Lipstick in Coquette (review and swatches here)
Australis Show Stopper Gloss Stick in Fairy Floss (review and swatches here)

Happy Halloween everyone! Don't eat too much candy!

Hello, lovely people! How are you? It's hump day today! Just a couple of days till the long weekend - WOOT!

Day 12 is just a little variation on the Berry Work Appropriate (pun not intended) tutorial that I did a while back with the Estée Lauder Pure Color Five Color Eyeshadow palette.

I love this look because I hardly ever have the time to create something that looks so dimensional - I used 3 different eyeshadow colours in order to create the eye look, and I used purple eyeshadow to add to the overall feel of the look.


I have also realised through doing these looks that the Giorgio Armani foundation gives me a lovely finish - very dewy and fresh, and not at all oily. I think I have finally found my HG foundation. Now all I have to do is make sure they never ever discontinue it. I would be devastated if they did.

Come to think of it, doing this makeup challenge has really allowed me to do a timely comparison of products and how they perform and look on my skin. A lot of HG's are coming out of this challenge, which is exciting for me!

On to Day 10 - we're finally a third of the way into this makeup challenge!

I tried a couple of new products in this FOTD, and I am really excited about reviewing them for you soon! The first new product I tried is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express Kit in Brunette. This is a freaking brow-saver, honestly. It made my unruly brows look defined, neat, and polished. It really pulled together my entire look. Check it out on their website. Review to come!


I didn't wear this smoky eye out to the office, in case you're wondering. I wore this out at night - my boyfriend, my sisters and I went out to watch Paranormal Activity 3! Just as an aside, this movie is absolutely terrifying! So much scarier than the first two. I must have jumped at least a dozen times during the movie!

Anyway, back to the makeup. I also tried a brand new product by Australis cosmetics - the Australis Double Decker Eye Duo. These products are a gorgeous eyeshadow duo - a cream eyeshadow and a pigment. I am using the duo called Give Me Some Space, which is a deep purple cream eyeshadow with a beautiful shimmery purple pigment.


Products used:

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation #4
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express Kit in Brunette
Australis Double Decker Eye Duo in Give Me some Space
Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in #51 for the undereye, and #52 to conceal acne on the cheeks
Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner in True Black
MAC Lipstick in Snob
NYX Brush On Lipgloss in Lilac Fields
Illamasqua Cream Blush in Seduce
Sleek Contour Kit in Medium (for contouring under the cheekbones and at the temples)
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder

Day 4 of my makeup challenge sees me up and going about 20 minutes earlier than usual, hence the experimentation with a new product.

I still did the standard slightly smoky eye that I'm prone to wearing to work, but I added a little shock of red to it, which is something I've never done before. I never saw red as a colour I would ever wear on my eyes. It freaks me out and I would never go near red eyeshadow, but I decided to try it this time around when Illamasqua released their 'Theatre of the Nameless' collection and I was offered the chance to try their Pure Pigment in 'Berber'.


What do you guys think? Is this a good way to wear a red eyeshadow? Would you ever use red eyeshadow yourself?


Products used:

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #4 (review here)
Bloom Eye Brow Duo
Red Earth Illusion Lights Pro Beauty Eyeshadow in Rose Noir (review and swatches here)
Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Berber (review to come)
Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner in True Black

So I was watching JLo's new video the other day - the name escapes me - and I loved her natural, summery smoky eye in the beach scene, not to mention her skin looked so amazingly glowy and bronzed!


I wanted to do something similar (and a little less smoky because it was daytime). Here are the step-by-step instructions:

I wanted to keep my skin really glowy and dewy for this look, so I primed with JK Jemma Kidd Mannequin Skin Enhancer in 01 Canvas. This provided a really golden, glowing base. (Review to come)

Then, I applied Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #4. It's not as tan as I would like, but hey, you make do.












Finally, apply lipstick followed by a lipgloss. I used Illamasqua Lipstick in Obey, topped off with NYX Brush On Lipgloss in Lilac Fields. Apply some thick eyelashes (if you feel like it) and you're done!


So there's your simple, summery smoky eye makeup tutorial. I hope you found it useful! In hindsight though, I really shouldn't have posted JLo's picture here. She looks like a glimmery bronzed goddess next to my flailing albino penguin :/

Hello, everyone! I hope you're having a great day so far! I'm posting a Burlesque inspired tutorial today, because my Mom was meant to host an event with a 20s theme and she asked me about this makeup look. I photographed it today and sent it to her, only to find out that they have decided to go with a masquerade ball theme instead -.-

On the bright side, there should be a masquerade inspired tutorial coming soon on this blog!

Anyway, on with the look:


I obviously modernized it a little, because I don't think anyone wants to go to an annual ball with stick thin eyebrows and mini geisha lips. Here's how to get the look:

Start without a base. The black eyeshadow application should be a little messy, so we will have to clean up before applying foundation.
























I went a step further because I had a zit on my cheek, so I made it a mole :D


Here's a close-up of my eyes. I am in love with this eyeshadow, seriously!



I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial!